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Mar 25, 2009

Sherri aka SDMomChef rated it:

This is the third book in the Mistress of the Art of Death Series. This historical fiction series takes place during the Middle Ages and the time of King Henry II. The main character is from Solerno and is a trained physician with a specialty in autopsies. Her skills are disguised due to the role of women in the middle ages and she travels as an "interpreter" for a Saracen, her childhood protector. King Henry II engages her skills whenever there is a death that has political implic More...

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Apr 20, 2010

Joyce rated it:

3rd in the Adelia Aguilar of Salerno series.[return][return]Adelia is in trouble. Even with the fiction of Mansour, her Saracen bodyguard, as a physician, the quacks of Cambridge are losing enough money to have both Mansour and Adelia hauled before a court on charges of heresy and possibly witchcraft. Prior Gregory, Adelia s true friend, manages to convince Adelia, Mansour and the ever-loyal Gyltha along with 4 year old Allie to escape. They take refuge with Lady Emma Wolvercote, who made he More...

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Mar 30, 2009

Michael rated it:

The third and latest in the "Mistress of the Art of Death" series, historical mysteries by Ariana Franklin (aka Diana Norman) set in late 12th century England, is the best of the lot. Mistress of the Art of Death, the first book, was well done. The author stumbled a bit with the second, The Serpent's Tale, but she has found her stride with the current offering. Set in Glastonbury and wrapped in the mists of Avalon, the work is a must for anyone besotted with the Matter of Britain. Adel More...

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Feb 06, 2012

Tamora rated it:

Forced into flight from her beloved fens, Arelia, the forensic physician, is ordered by Henry II to discover if remains recently uncovered at Glastonbury are those of Arthur and Guenevere. Searching for a missing friend who was on her way to claim a property, coming to the town and abbey which has burned to the ground, Arelia and her household are up to their necks in trouble. She and her Saracen manservant Mansur, who masquerades as the true doctor since the time and place forbid a woman to p More...

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Dec 25, 2011

Felicia rated it:

Again, really enjoyed this book, it's one of my fave historical series! Adelia is a great character, a woman with more modern sensibilities that don't seem forced into the Henry II era. The attention to detail and historical research is, as usual, stunning. The more accurate mythology about King Arthur was interesting to see, enough so that I did EXTRA research after I finished the book. I loved the sense of unease and threat that encompassed this book, you knew bad stuff was gonna go down, b More...

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Nov 25, 2011

Colleen rated it:

Wow. I saw the Arturus bit coming a mile off (if/when you've read it you'll understand) but the rest of the conclusions were nice surprises. Or not so nice. They hit me in the gut because a lot of the things involved are heartbreaking for me.
This author has an amazing writing style and manages to keep this in line with previous novels without giving away too many spoilers. It has made me want to read the first two and the fourth to see how we got to this point and where they go from here. More...

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Aug 18, 2011

Sariah rated it:

This was a great little mystery/historical fiction. The writing was fun and the characters were all likeable. I didn't know this was part of a series (although I had to wonder as they kept referring to things that seemed way to complicated for just a "oh this happened to this character once"), but it stood on it's own quite well. Adelia is comissioned by Henry II to investigate some found skeletons that are believed to be those of Arthur and Guinevere. Throw in some murders, feudal law More...

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Aug 03, 2011

bookczuk rated it:

I really enjoy this "Mistress of the Art of Death" series by Ariana Franklin. It's forensic anthropology a la CSI and Bones set in the time of Henry II. It's difficult to decide if I like the historical elements, the characters, or the mystery more, but it is certain that the mix, at least of the 3 books I've read, make for good reading.

To the basic cast of characters surrounding Adelia Aguilar, who had the unique opportunity to be trained in the art of medicine, science, More...

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May 26, 2011

Donna rated it:

Grave Goods by Arianna Franklin- It was EXCELLENT! I found it on sale at a bookstore for like 30% off (winning!). Anyway the story is about a forensic doctor from the time of Henry Plantagenet (Henry II) and he sends her off to Glastonbury after he hears rumor that a dying monk had a vision of King Arthur’s burial. When she gets there she finds two skeletons, the smaller one missing it’s pelvic bones. She’s supposed to verify that the skeletons are indeed Arthur and Guinevere so the Welsh will s More...

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Mar 01, 2011

Rhiannon rated it:

The third book in the Mistress of the Art of Death series, Grave Goods follows Adelia to Glastonbury Abbey, on behalf of King Henry. Her arrival falls on the heels of a devastating fire that has wiped out most of the great Abbey and the township, but has revealed a buried couple, rumored to be King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. Adelia's mission is to prove if these bones indeed belong to them, but on her way she stumbles into even great mystery. Will she survive this latest round of trouble?
More...

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Feb 22, 2011

Linden rated it:

Vesuvia Adelia Aguilar, the protagonist of Grave Goods by Ariana Franklin, is a doctor, trained in Salerno, Italy. Since women are not permitted to practice medicine in the England of 1176, she travels with Mansur, her Arab bodyguard, and allows it to seem as though he is the doctor directing her to do his work.

Glastonbury Abbey has just burned to the ground uncovering bones that may be those of King Arthur and Guinevere. Hoping to put down a rebellion in Wales where the belief i More...

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Sep 06, 2010

Julie rated it:

A book set in eleventh century England,Adelia Anguilar (the mistress of death) is sent to Glastonbury by King Henry the II to determine if bones found there belong to King Arthur. If she can prove they are, he feels that the Celts, minus their legendary king, will give up their rebellion for good. Using what passes for forensic medicine in the 1100's, and a saviness that I admired-she does this=while finding out many other things hidden by the monks in the Glastonbury Abby. This sounds dry-but More...

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May 25, 2010

Emily Ann rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Feb 10, 2010

Dianne rated it:

I nearly gave up on this one. It is difficult to bring a new reader into mid-series without irritating fans who have been reading from the start, especially when complicated relationships are involved. The unlikely protagonist is Vesuvia Adelia Rachel Ortese Aguilar, graduate of the School of Medicine in Salerno. She is accompanied by her Arab eunuch, Mansur, her illigitimate daughter, Allie, and the child's nurse Gyltha. The year is 1176, the reigning monarch Henry II. Adelia discovers a weed More...

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Sep 12, 2009

Jo rated it:

Really like this series. This is the third book. Start with the first as the characters grow over the course of the books.

Set in the late 12th Century, during the reign of Henry II. The female protagonist is a qualified doctor from the School of Medicine in Salerno, Italy - well more of a pathologist or forensic investigator. King Henry calls Adelia his Mistress of Death and uses here to investigate particularly sticky crimes.Since women are not respected in 12th C England she ori More...

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Apr 09, 2009

LJ rated it:

First Sentence: “And God was angry with His people of Somerset so that, in the year of Our Lord 1154. pm the day after the feast of Saint Stephen, He caused an earthquake that it might punish them for their sins…” Thus wrote Brother Caradoc in Saint Michael’s chapel in top of Glastonbury Tor, to which he’d scrambled, gasping and sobbing, so as to escape the devastation that God with his earthquake had wrought on everything below it.

King Henry II is fighting to suppress the rebelliou More...

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Feb 08, 2010

Debbie rated it:

Another great medieval forensic mystery from Arianna Franklin. I think I liked this best of the three books she has so far written about Vesuvia Adelia Rachel Ortese Aguilar, Mistress of the Art of Death to Henry II.

The mystery that Adelia is sent to investigate this time is in Glastonbury where the bones of King Arthur and Guinevere are reported to have been found. Henry II faces continual rebellions by the Welsh who are inspired by their belief that Arthur will one day rise from hi More...

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Apr 20, 2011

Judith rated it:

This is book 3 in "Mistress of the Art of Death" series, in which a 13th century female doctor from Sicily is hijacked by Henry II of England to solve murders. I enjoyed the series, but by this third book I have pretty much figured out how the author thinks, and was able to solve the mystery about a third of the way through.
The main romantic relationship has also gotten frustrating to the point where I don't much care about the characters and their issues any more.
I will p More...

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Aug 16, 2009

Coral rated it:

Simply the best series... read the previous two first.
Extract:

As Adelia opened her mouth, the king's forefinger wagged it shut. “Yes, I know,” he said. “Nobody's going to accept the findings of a woman, but I've seen to it. Glastonbury's been told that I'm sending them an expert in skeletons, my own Lord Mansur” — Henry bowed to the tall Arab, who salaamed back — “to authenticate the bones of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere, if indeed those are what they are. The monks won't like hav

More...

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Mar 20, 2011

Kaycee rated it:

Ariana Franklin doesn't disappoint in book three of her Mistress of the Art of Death series.

I'm a huge fan of both historical fiction and CSI inspired forensic science themes - this series has both. :-) Franklin creates characters that are flawed yet endearing. And her attention to historical detail really draws me in.

In this installment of the series the MC, Adelia Aguilar, must go to the recently burned Glastonbury Abbey on the orders of King Henry II to prove the ident More...

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May 04, 2010

Judy rated it:

This book didn't hold my attention the way the previous books in the series did. I enjoyed the references to King Arthur and his importance in building an English ethos and to King Henry's contributions to the English justice system and the discovery of the identity of the two bodies buried together, but not so much that I felt any real compulsion to finish the book - that from one who frequently stays up to read an entire book in one night. The ending felt hurried and unsatisfying as if the aut More...

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Nov 05, 2009

Nikki rated it:

This book, third in the series of historical mysteries about a woman physician/forensic pathologist in Henry II's England (yes! really!), was a perfectly fine entry in the series but just didn't blow me away. Of course, the book of Franklin's that *did* blow me away was a stand-alone, City of Shadows, which was also historical but set in 1920s and 30s Berlin. I wish she'd write, or the publishers would publish, more like that.

Brief synopsis: Henry II is having trouble with the Welsh More...

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Apr 14, 2009

Susan rated it:

Loved it - I think the best of the series so far. I'm not a CSI-crime fan, but this is a fascinating historical series (I think of it as mystery, but my library puts her under fiction). Either way, I love the character of Dr. Adelia Aguilar and her two mainstays and dear friends, Gyltha and Mansur, and her lover, Rowley (bishop of St. Albans). I also love her interactions with Henry II, who brought her to England from Salerno to serve as his "mistress of the dead" (like a modern forens More...

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Jan 31, 2011

Marissa rated it:

I am bound to give this novel at least three stars since I couldn't stop reading it and finished it in a couple days BUT that being said, I think I am just not cut out for series. I loved the first novel in this series so much, I was so sad when I finished it and so excited to read the second. I read the second novel and was slightly disappointed and I think I'm even more disappointed by this one. I can't even really recall any particular parts of it now that I'm done and it didn't hold my inter More...

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Jan 31, 2011

Katyana rated it:

I really like this series. I love the characters, and particularly Adelia. I love the pacing, the mysteries, the historical setting. I love Henry II, even though he drives me batty sometimes.

What I really don't love is Rowley. In previous books, I sort of managed to put up with him - he manages to be less annoying as the plot thickens, and he generally isn't around much before then.

The reason I dislike Rowley is this: he doesn't love Adelia. Not really. He hates all More...

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Sep 05, 2010

Julia rated it:

Having read the first in the series (which set the scene nicely) I unintentionally missed the second but picked up the third...

Adelia, a 12th century female anatomist (shock horror!) who has found favour with Henry II is brought in to identify some human remains found at Glastonbury. Rumour has it that they are the bones of King Arthur and his lady Guinevere and Henry wants Adela to conduct an investigation.

Adelia was medically trained in Naples but, because of her sex More...

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Jul 29, 2011

Laurie added it

Franklin's Medieval CSI expert is called to investigate the discovery of bones that may be Arthur and Guinevere's in Glastonbury. In the course of exploring this mystery, she uncovers the answers to others, and as befits a CSI tale, there are many grisley murders. We meet again the recurring characters in Adelia's story, her daughter, her Saracen bodyguard, and her loyal servant. Her romantic interest reappears, along with Henry II. Many interesting historical events interact with Franklin's inv More...

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Jul 25, 2009

Toni rated it:

3rd novel in the series "A Mistress in the Art of Death"

This historical based mystery is an exciting sequel. Anyone who is a fan of Adelia Aguilar and her forensic skills will not be disappointed.

In 1176, a fire caused damage to Glastonbury Abbey and during the subsequent clean up an ancient box was found with the remains of two people. As in the past, King Henry 11 summoned Adelia to determine without a doubt the skeletons uncovered where those of King Arthur a More...

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Jun 17, 2011

Francois rated it:

I'm not a specialist of the period the book is set in (the reign of Henri II) but it seems to me difficult to believe that an English king of that period would put his faith in the knowledge of a woman (especially a foreign woman coming from Spain) with an Arab assistant, no matter how much that woman would have proved to him.

But I was nevertheless easily able to put aside this rather incongruous aspect of the novel and greatly enjoy reading on.

The plot is well written an More...

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Apr 27, 2011

Bernadette rated it:

The book opens in 1154 as an earthquake engulfs Glastonbury Abbey and a dying monk sees people lowering a coffin into a fissure created in the earth. Did the coffin contain the body of the legendary King Arthur, long-thought to be merely sleeping in the nearby hills until his people need him again? Twenty-two years later the monk’s nephew, who was present as his uncle died, shares the information with King Henry II who has just quashed one Welsh rebellion and is desperate to rid himself of the l More...

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